Reading: Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1-3.
Ill:
• A little boy asked his mum a question;
• “Mum, where did I get my intelligence from?”
• She replied;
• “I guess you got it from your father because I still have mine!”
Many Christians avoid the book of Hebrews
• Because they view it as being too difficult to understand.
• And there are some verses that many of us as preachers wishes were not there.
• But the general message of the book is clear ;
• And there is no reason why you and I should not (1). understand it & (2). profit from it.
• Hebrews is a great book;
• And as we study it, it should enrich our appreciation of Jesus Christ.
Notice: Five things to note regarding the book of Hebrews.
(1). It is a book of evaluation
• The Church that received this letter was primarily made up of converted Jewish people;
• There is not a single reference to Gentiles in the book.
• Nor any mention of problems between Jews and Gentiles;
• Which we find in so many other New Testament letters.
• Jewish Christians were living in ‘no-man’s land’;
• They were rejected by their fellow Jews for not practicing the old religion.
• They were rejected by Gentiles;
Ill:
• In fact under Nero they became ‘scapegoat’,
• Nero blamed them for all sorts of things especially when in A.D. 64;
• A great fire broke out in Rome which destroyed a large part of the city.
Note:
• It is into this hard and complex situation that the writer of this book;
• Pens his advice.
• Question: Who was the writer?
• Answer: No-one knows.
Ill:
• Tertullian one of the earliest Church fathers;
• Thought that Barnabus wrote it.
• Clement of Alexandria used to think that;
• Paul wrote it in Hebrew and that Luke translated it into Greek.
• St Augustine, Martin Luther & John Calvin were all convinced;
• That the apostle Paul did not write it.
• Luther believed that Apollos (Acts chapter 18 verse 24) wrote it.
• Some scholars have even suggested Aquila & Priscilla wrote it between them (Acts 18:26)
• Origen one of the earliest Church fathers, got it right when he said;
• “Who wrote the letter to the Hebrews only God knows for certain”.
• We might not know who penned it, but we do know who inspired it;
• God the Holy Spirit – Many human writers – only ever one author!
The original readers did know who the writer was:
• e.g. Hebrews chapter 13 verses 18-19:
• The writer asks the Church to pray for them & he hoped to visit them again in the future.
“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honourably in all things. And I urge you all the more to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner”.
Note:
• Into this difficult situation, the writer this book ask his readers to evaluate their faith;
• He asks them to reflect on what Jesus Christ had to offer them?
The Reason:
• Because these Christians were going through difficult times;
• And they were being tempted to give up in their faith.
• To quit, to take the easy option of going with popular opinion.
The writer of this letter will address three types of people:
(a).
• According to chapter 10 verses 32-34:
• Some of these Christians had been physically assaulted.
• Their homes had been raided and plundered.
• Some had been imprisoned for their faith.
• Others had been ridiculed in public because of their trust in Jesus Christ.
• Many of these Christians had accepted all the adversity;
• Despite the persecution they stood firm.
(b).
• Others in the fellowship were ‘keeping their heads down’;
• They presented a low public profile and were also willing to compromise,
• They lived with a ‘all things to all men’ attitude;
• They wanted to remain true to Jesus,
• But at the same time they did not want to experience persecution and trouble.
• So they compromised their beliefs in order to be accepted and therefore not victimized.
(c).
• Still others had given up on Christ and gone back to their old ways;
• That is back to the Jewish religion.
• They went back to the safe and familiar;
• And by going back they were welcomed back into the Jewish community;
• And they escaped the maltreatment & discrimination that Christians were experiencing.
Notice:
• That the writer asked these believers to evaluate their faith;
• To compare what they have in Christ and what they had before they followed Jesus.
The writers aim in this book;
• Is to shows the superiority of Jesus Christ and His salvation;
• Over the Hebrew system of religion.
• One of his favourite words seems to be the word ‘better’ or ‘greater’;
• He uses it 13 times in this book;
e.g.
Look at the poster:
• Jesus Greater Than Angels (1:4-2:18)
• Jesus Greater Than Moses (3:1-6)
• Jesus Greater Than Aaron (4:14 to 5:10)
• Jesus Greater Than Melchizedek (7:1-17)
• A Greater Covenant (8:1-13)
• A Greater Sanctuary (9:1-28)
• A Greater Sacrifice (10:1-22)
• The Greatest Principle: Faith (11:1-40)
• The Greatest Encouragement (12: 1-13)
• The Greatest Activity: Worship (13:10-21)
Note: Another word that is repeated in this book is ‘perfect’;
• In the original Greek it is used 14 times.
• It means a perfect standing before God.
This perfection could never be accomplished by:
• The Levitical priesthood (7:11);
• Or by the Law (7:19),
• Nor could the blood of animal sacrifices achieve it (10:1).
• Jesus Christ gave Himself as one offering for sin,
• And by this He has "he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
• (Chapter 10 verse 14).
• So the writer is contrasting the Old Testament system of law;
• With the New Testament ministry of grace.
• He is making it clear that the Jewish religious system was temporary;
• And that it could not bring in the eternal "better things" that are found in Jesus Christ.
Note: Eternal is a third word that is important to the message of Hebrews.
• Chapter 5 verse 9: speaks of Christ as the "author of eternal salvation".
• Chapter 6 verse 2 speaks of an “eternal judgement”.
• Chapter 9 verse 12 speaks of an "eternal redemption".
• Chapter 9 verse 14 speaks of an “eternal Spirit”.
• Chapter 9 verse 15 speaks of an "eternal inheritance".
• The equivalent words “everlasting”, “evermore”, and “forever”,
• Also occur many times in this book.
When you combine these three important words, ‘greater, perfect & eternal’:
• You realise a fresh all that Jesus Christ has brought us into.
• We no longer need ‘lesser, imperfect and temporary’ things as found in the Law.
• Because what we have in Christ is so much better;
• Because these blessings are eternal and they give us a perfect standing before God.
• So why swap the substance for a shadow;
• It does not make sense!
(2). It is a book of exhortation
Ill:
• An old Puritan preacher used to say that there were only two things he needed to know.
• First, "Does God speak?" and second, "What does God say?"
• Well the answer to the first question is yes God does speak;
• And the answer to the second question; “what does he say?” Is words of encouragement!
• In chapter 13 verse 22: the writer calls this letter “a word of exhortation".
• The Greek word translated as "exhortation" simply means "encouragement."
• Sometimes it is translated as "comfort" (in Romans 15:4,)
• Sometimes it is translated "consolation" (in 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; 7:7)
• The book of Hebrews was not written to frighten people (ill: wave the stick),
• But to encourage people (ill: dangle the carrot)
There were five spiritual problems that brought discouragement to these Christians:
• Chapter 2 verses 1-4: they were drifting from the Word.
• They were neglecting the word of God – we would say unread Bibles.
• Chapter 3 verse7 to chapter 4 verse 13: they were doubting the Word.
• They had ‘hard hearts’, application of truth that sets us free from doubts.
• Chapter 5 verse 11 to chapter 6 verse 20: Dullness toward the Word;
• Slow to learn – they were still on milk when they should have been meat eaters!
• Chapter 10 verses 26-39: Despising the Word
• They thought there was easy & cheap forgiveness for their habitual disobedience.
• Chapter 12 verses 14-29: Defying the Word
• They refused to hear and listen to the word – because listening made them accountable!
Question: What does God do for his children who are willingly going away from him?
Answer:
• First: He keeps speaking to us, encouraging us to listen and obey his Word.
• If we fail to listen and obey,
• Then second: He begins to chasten, to correct us.
• This chastening process is the theme of Hebrews chapter 12,
• Remember that God always chastens in love.
• And he chastens us not to get even – but to correct us ill: loving parent.
(3). It is a book or examination
Quote: C.S. Lewis in his book ‘A Grief Observed’.
• “You never know how much you really believe anything;
• Until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death.
• It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong;
• As long as you are merely using it to cord a box.
• But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice.
• Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?”
The question the readers of this letter then and now have to ask themselves is:
• "What am I really trusting?
• Am I trusting the Word of God,
• Or am I trusting the traditions & trappings of religion?”
• Too many people are depending on the "scaffolding";
• And not on the “solid foundation.”
Ill:
• The story is told of a British Rail conductor, who got on a train,
• He began to check tickets,
• And he said to the first passenger whose ticket he was checking,
• "Sir, you're on the wrong train."
• When he looked at the next ticket, he again told that passenger the same thing.
• The passenger protested "But the man in the ticket office told me to get on this train,"
• "I'll double-check," said the conductor.
• And as he did and discovered that he was on the wrong train!
Sadly there are those who are on the wrong train:
• They hope that religion and sincerity will be enough;
• But that don’t work in life and it won’t work in the afterlife.
So the question the readers of this letter then and now have to ask themselves is:
• "What am I really trusting?
• Am I trusting the Word of God,
• Or am I trusting the traditions & trappings of religion?”
• Too many people are depending on the "scaffolding";
• And not on the “solid foundation.”
In chapter 13 verse 9 the writer says: God wants us to be sure!
• NIV: "Strengthened with grace"
• KJB: "Established with grace"
• The Greek word translated as ‘Strengthened’ or ‘Established’
• Is used, in one form or another, eight times in the book of Hebrews.
• It means: "to be solidly grounded, to stand firm on your feet."
• It carries the idea of strength, reliability, confirmation, permanence.
• The idea is that you can be secure while everything around you is &falling apart!
• In times of problems and persecution remember:
• Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28: We have a “Kingdom which cannot be shaken".
• Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2: God's Word is binding & steadfast.
• Hebrews chapter 6 verse 19: Our hope is like an anchor for the soul.
• The book of Hebrews is a book of examination:
• It helps you discover where your faith really is.
• A faith built on traditions and religious duties will fail in difficult times;
• A faith built on Jesus Christ will strengthen us in difficult times.
(4). It is a book of expectation
This book of Hebrews very much focuses our minds and hearts on the future.
Ill:
A few examples:
• In chapter 2 verse 5: the writer informs us that he is speaking about "the world to come";
• A time when believers will reign with Christ.
• In chapter 9 verse 15:
• We are informed that we share a "promised eternal inheritance".
• Like the saints of old commended for their faith in Hebrews chapter 11,
• We too are looking for that future city of God.
• Like these great men and women of faith, chapter 11 verse 13 reminds us:
• That we today should be "Aliens & strangers (pilgrims) on the earth”.
The writer is telling us that:
• Christians ought to "hang loose" as far as this world is concerned,
• And start living for the eternal values of the world to come.
Ill:
An American tourist visited the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim:
• The tourist was astonished to see that the rabbi's home was a very simple room;
• He had some books, a table and a bench.
• The tourist asked him, “rabbi, where is your furniture?”
• "Where is yours"? replied the rabbi.
• "Mine"? asked the puzzled American.
• "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through.”
• "So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim.
• You and I as God's children have been promised a future reward.
• The decisions we make today will determine the rewards tomorrow.
• Quote: Dr. A. W. Tozer used to remind us,
• "Every man must choose his world."
Ill:
• Our decisions should be motivated by the expectation of receiving future rewards.
• Abraham obeyed God because "he looked for a city" (11:10).
• Moses forsook the treasures and the pleasures of Egypt because;
• "He was looking ahead to his reward" (11:26).
Ill:
• In fact, it was this same attitude of faith;
• That carried our Lord Jesus Christ through the agony of the cross:
• Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2:
• "Jesus who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame".
The emphasis in the book of Hebrews is:
• Don't live for what the world will promise you today!
• Live for what God bas promised you in the future!
• Be a stranger and a pilgrim on this earth!
• Walk by faith, not by sight!"
(5). It is a book of exaltation
The Epistle to the Hebrews exalts the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• The first three verses set this high and holy theme;
• Which is continued throughout the entire book.
In verses 1-3 the writer shows us that Jesus Christ is superior to the prophets.
• The prophets ministered on planet earth;
• Jesus is the creator of planet earth.
• A prophet was a man called by God.
• But Jesus is superior because he is the Son of God.
• The prophets spoke a message about the Messiah.
• But Jesus is superior because he is that message, he is the Messiah!
• The prophets were many in number.
• But Jesus is superior because he is the ONLY Son of God.
• The prophets gave an incomplete fragmented message.
• But Jesus is superior because he is the final and complete message of God.
In verses 1-3: we have a seven-fold presentation of Jesus in his greatness and glory
• He is the established heir,
• He is the creator of the universe.
• He is the radiant splendour, the brilliance of glory.
• He is the image of the invisible God.
• He is the upholder & sustainer of all things.
• He is the sin-purger who has removed all of our sin, guilt, and defilement.
• He is the victorious risen one who is seated and enthroned in heaven.
